The north on the big screen

29.09.2017 | Filmfest Hamburg Special

On a moped through Schleswig-Holstein: Frederick Lau and David Kross in Simpel

For many North German cinema fans, it is THE highlight of the year. 10 days packed with film gems from Germany and all over the world. Filmfest Hamburg will be showing a total of 130 films in five Hamburg cinemas for its 25th anniversary, many of which have a North German connection in one way or another or were shot here. We reveal which films these are in our film festival special.

Filmfest Hamburg in figures

130 films
59 countries of production (too many to list here)
11 sections (Freeport, Transatlantic, Hamburg Filmschau, Veto!, Voilá! Vitrina, Asia Express, Eurovisuell, Kaleidoskop, 16:9, MICHEL)
16 world premieres
32 debut films
5 Hamburg cinemas (CinemaxX Dammtor, Metropolis, Abaton, Passage, Studio-Kino)
7 different juries are in action during the festival
10 prizes (totalling 100.000 euros) will be awarded
25 years have passed since the first film festival
40,000 spectators are expected
10 days of the very best film enjoyment

Filmfest Hamburg - then and now

It's been 25 years since Filmfest Hamburg opened its doors for the first time. A lot has happened since then: Around 2800 national and international film productions have been shown as world, European or German premieres. Audience numbers have increased tenfold and the number of film prizes awarded has grown to a total of eleven - the most recent addition is the Foreign Office's Sichtwechselpreis, which will be awarded for the first time in 2017. The beginnings of Filmfest Hamburg date back to 1968, when filmmakers such as Werner Nekes and Abaton founder Werner Grassmann organised the 1st Hamburg Filmschau in protest against the restrictive structures of the film industry. This was followed in 1979 by the Filmfest Hamburg, which was also attended by Wim Wenders, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Volker Schlöndorff, among others. The Hamburg Declaration against the foreign control of German film, formulated at the end of the festival, led to the founding of the Hamburg Film Office, which later launched the Filmfest Hamburg.

And what else is there from the north?

In addition to two Tatort episodes (Dark time,Borowksi and the land between the seas) and two episodes of the children's seriesPeppercorns it will be withDrift the feature film debut of HfbK graduate Helena Wittmann, which has already screened at the Venice Film Festival this year. Also from an HfbK team is the filmForcing Satan to do thiswhich calls into question television financed by licence fees.

Even though the G20 summit was not that long ago, the first films are already dealing with the protests and events surrounding the major Hamburg event - includingThe Summit - Performing G20 by Directors Rasmus Gerlach. Directors and HfbK graduate Thomas Oswald delivers a coming of age documentary about four young people from a German province with his filmAt the centre of the world. InWerner Nekes - Life between the pictures Directors Ulrike Pfeiffer explores the life of experimental filmmaker Werner Nekes, who spent many years of his creative life in Hamburg. Directors Karim Moussaoui devotes himself to three stories in his filmUntil the birds returnwhich gives an insight into the reality of life in Algeria.

Credits: Cover picture: Gordon Timpen/Universum